


(Wake Me Up) When September Ends

by liberallesbian37



Series: Project Team Beta's 2013 Writing Challenge [37]
Category: Glee
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-14
Updated: 2013-12-14
Packaged: 2018-01-04 16:03:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1082976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liberallesbian37/pseuds/liberallesbian37
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over a decade after Rachel and the original seniors graduate, Rachel decides to throw a reunion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(Wake Me Up) When September Ends

**Author's Note:**

> Challenge Number/Title: 37/September's End  
> Date Posted: 12/14/13  
> Fandom: Glee  
> Rating: T  
> Genre: Future  
> Content Descriptors: Bittersweet  
> Character Pairing: Kitty/Marley, past Santana/Brittany

                Brittany Pierce had just gotten home from a long day at the dance studio and all she wanted to do was curl up in bed with her cat. She threw the mail on the table, not planning on looking at it, but a shiny gold envelope stopped her. She frowned. No one ever sent her anything. The majority of her mail consisted of advertisements, and the rest was usually bills. Curiosity got the better of her and she opened the envelope.

_Dear Brittany,_

_I’m sorry it’s been so long. I’ve been meaning to call or write, but life has been insane. Anyway, I’m organizing a Glee club reunion over Labor Day Weekend and I’d be honored if you would come. Please RSVP for more information._

_Hope you can make it!_

_Rachel_

                Brittany stared at the invitation, a million thoughts rushing through her head. Why now? She hadn’t spoken to Rachel in over ten years. After Finn died, Rachel had fallen out of touch with almost everyone from Lima…except Santana and Kurt. God, Santana. She hadn’t spoken to or seen Santana since Finn’s funeral. A part of her longed to see the beautiful Latina, but another part of her felt terrified. She’d be thirty years old now. Her hair might have the beginning signs of graying, but knowing Santana they’d be completely covered up. There would be wrinkles on her forehead, and crow’s feet probably. But she’d still be beautiful. Brittany didn’t even know if she was married. Probably. How could a woman like Santana not be married?

                She got her cell phone out of her purse, pulled up her email, and before she could change her mind, tapped out a quick message to Rachel.

                _Give me details._

\---

                Kitty Wilde considered throwing the invitation in the trash. But it was addressed to her _and_ Marley, and she knew it would be mean of her to not show her wife. How the hell Rachel Berry had gotten her address was beyond her. She hardly knew the woman, nor did Marley as far as she knew.

                “Kitty? Are you home?” a voice called from the bedroom.

                “Yeah, I’ll be there in a second.” She looked at the invitation again, the words jumping off the page at her.

_I heard about what happened. I’m so sorry. I’m throwing a reunion……_

                Sorry.

                Sorry.

                Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

                That was all they had heard for a year months. _We did everything we could, but we couldn’t save them. We’re so sorry._

                “Hey, babe.” Kitty kissed Marley’s forehead. “We got something in the mail from Rachel Berry.”

                A smile spread across Marley’s face. “Read it to me,” she demanded softly.

                Kitty cleared her throat and tried to ignore the prickling tears. You couldn’t tell anything was wrong with Marley at first glance. Then you noticed that her eyes were gone, replaced with glass orbs.

                “ _Dear Kitty and Marley_ ,” she started reading.

\---

                “Who’s Rachel Berry?”

                Noah Puckerman rubbed tiredly at his eyes. It had been another late night at the bar. He couldn’t remember how much he’d had to drink or when his sometimes girlfriend Michelle had shown up.

                “What time is it?” he grumbled.

                “Time for you to get out of bed. Take a shower; you stink,” Michelle complained. “And who’s Rachel Berry?”

                “Why?” he asked, stretching and yawning.

                “You got something from her in the mail,” she replied, tossing the letter at him. He ripped it open, ignoring Michelle’s question.

_Noah,_

_Do you have any idea how hard it is to track you down? I finally got this address from your mom, so I hope it reaches you. I’m throwing a reunion over Labor Day Weekend. I think we’d all like to see you. RSVP for more information._

_Rachel_

                Puck rolled his eyes and crumpled up the paper. He could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen Rachel in the last ten years. And the last time didn’t even count. It had been a few months after Finn died. He was in New York. Somehow he and Rachel had ended up alone in her loft. She was drunk and crying about Finn, and he was drunk and missing Finn. He wasn’t even sure how it happened. The next thing he knew, she was screaming at him to get out. He wasn’t even sure she knew who he was.

                “She’s nobody.”

\---

Labor Day Weekend

                “Tina! I’m so glad you could make it!” Rachel exclaimed, throwing her arms around her.

                Tina looked around the house. She had to admit that Rachel had done a nice job. She wondered how much it had cost for Rachel to secure the Florida beachside house.

                “Everybody’s out back. Come on!”

                “Am I the last one to get here?” Tina asked, looking around. She could see Blaine and Ryder talking to Jake; Quinn and Santana were building sand castles with Quinn’s daughter; Kurt and Mercedes were showing Unique around the food table, identifying the insane recipes Rachel had come up with.

                Rachel shrugged.

                “I don’t know. Brittany said she wasn’t sure if she could come, Kitty just called and said she and Marley wouldn’t be able to make it, and I never heard back from Noah. Mike’s around here somewhere.”

                “It’s good to see you, Rachel,” Tina said before walking away to find Mike.

\---

                “Are you sure about this?” Kitty asked, stroking Marley’s hair. Marley nodded, crying.

                “I’m sorry we came all the way out here. I just can’t. I can’t face them all, and all of their questions. I’m sorry,” she sobbed.

                “Shh, don’t apologize. You know I don’t like them anyway.” Marley chuckled. “And besides, just because we’re not going to the reunion doesn’t mean we can’t have fun on our own.”

                “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?” Marley asked, her tears slowing.

                “Mmhmm. What do you think?”

                The haphazard removal of her shirt gave Kitty her answer.

\---

                “Santana?” Brittany said softly. The Latina snapped her head up.

                “Brittany. I didn’t think you were going to be here.”

                Brittany started to turn away, crushed. Santana backed up quickly.

                “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m glad you’re here.” Santana offered her a small smile that she returned.

                “I wasn’t sure if I was going to be here either.” She couldn’t stop staring at the tiny blonde girl at Santana’s side. Santana followed her eyes.

                “This is Amelia.”

                “Is…Is she yours?” Brittany asked. To her surprise, Santana burst out laughing.

                “God, no. She’s Quinn’s.”

                “Are you and Quinn…together?” Again, Santana laughed.

                “No. She works late a lot, so I watch Amelia for her.” Brittany nodded wordlessly, still watching Quinn’s daughter. Neither girl said anything for a few minutes.

                “Do you remember the last time we were at the beach?” Santana asked. Brittany nodded.

                “It was cheer camp in Michigan the summer after freshman year.”

                “And the water was freezing but we insisted on going out to the beach nearly every morning,” Santana added.

                “We practiced our handstands in the sand.”

                Santana smiled, lost in the memory. “I could never stay up for more than a second, but you could have stayed there all day if you wanted to.”

                “I wonder if I still could,” Brittany mused. “I guess there’s only one way to find out.”

                Santana’s mouth twisted into a sly smile.

                “Should we try it?”

                “On the count of three.”

                And on the count of three, the walls between the former best friends lowered as they forced their bodies upside down into handstands. After a second, Santana fell to the ground, laughing, but she stopped and watched Brittany. Her body was long and completely straight, her blonde hair falling down on the sand. A few seconds later, she gracefully lowered down. She turned to Santana and smiled. Santana opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again.

                “I think I’m still in love with you.” 


End file.
